So. The zoo. A couple of weekends ago a went to the zoo. We were walking out the carpark behind a family of a mum, dad and three boys of maybe 4, 7 and 11sih. There were apparently words between oldest two boys and dad and boys seemed to have fallen out. We were wandering behind them and dad was obviously upset saying things about how they were trying to have a nice family day out and did they know how expensive it was and how embarrassing they were. No biggy really but what was weird was the whole dynamic. Mum and youngest just walked off. Two boys and dad were lagging behind with oldest boy dragging along wite far behind. Dad kept coming back getting more and more ragey and more and more grabby with the two. At one point the younger was suddenly on the floor and dad dragged him up and tried to kiss and cuddle him. The wee boy just pulled away and walked off. It was all fairly horrible. Anyway, they were standing queing and I was trying to entertain p while DH queued. I glanced over at the precise moment that the woman spoke to her husband and he spat at her face like a camel.
I stood there thinking "did he just spit at her?" She didn't flinch one muscle. She didn't respond at all. Just very calmly turned her head away after a moment as though they had been discussing having change for pencils. He looked like he was crying as did the oldest boy who was rubbing his arm and sobbing.
I know he spat at her. In public. And in hindsight I know that he probably pushed the wee boy over and grabbed forcefully at the older one.
Without a shadow of a doubt it is probably one of the most distressing things I have ever seen. And I did absolutely fuck all because I couldn't believe it had happened in front of me. Then penny ran off and I had to chase her and I moved on in my head.
